Steering Problems of Chrysler Pacifica - part 1

Vehicle: 2017 Chrysler Pacifica limited gas (VIN: [xxx]) component: steering / electrical power steering (eps) gear rack incident description: I am filing this report in relation to active NHTSA preliminary evaluation pe25009 regarding the intermittent loss of electric power steering assist. While driving on curved roads, the steering system exhibits a distinct "sticky" or binding sensation during gradual, sustained turns. This mechanical resistance is highly localized and most noticeable when holding the steering wheel slightly off-center, specifically near the 11 o'clock and 1 o'clock positions. When attempting to exit a curve, the steering wheel fails to smoothly return to center on its own. It requires a deliberate, manual "nudge" or extra physical driver effort to break past the sticky threshold. Once this resistance is overcome, the electric power steering (eps) assist suddenly reactivates, creating a brief oversteer condition that requires immediate correction to keep the vehicle tracking safely in its lane. The behavior feels heavily tied to an internal electronic fault within the steering gear module rather than standard lane-keep assistance intervention, as the binding sensation persists even with safety features deactivated. This creates an unpredictable driving dynamic, particularly at highway speeds where subtle, precise inputs are required. Additionally, this vehicle has an extensive history of rapid battery failure, requiring multiple complete replacements of both the main and auxiliary batteries within consecutive 12-month periods. I suspect a systemic voltage drop or a compromised electrical ground circuit (potentially related to Chrysler recall v53 / NHTSA 19v-348) may be concurrently affecting or accelerating the failure of the highly voltage-sensitive eps rack assembly. The temporary binding of the steering infrastructure represents a clear, progressive safety defect. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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Steering wheel sticks at lower speeds between 11-1 o’clock position (approximately) and requires extra force to turn the wheel. I came across number pe25009 which seems to clearly line up with what I am experiencing, so decided to report.

When driving around curves the electric steering is malfunctioning. Making it unsafe to drive almost like it is sticking then when you correct it, it frees up and over corrects. This has been going on for some time now and keeps getting worse and worse. After a little research it seems a lot of other people are having this problem.

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I have a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica minivan and I am experiencing intermittent steering wheel sticking issue. While driving at highway speeds, the electric power steering exhibits a distinct 'sticking' or 'catching' sensation when trying to make minor lane corrections. Extra physical effort is required to 'break' the wheel free from the center position, which causes the vehicle to over-correct and jerk into the lane. This creates an immediate risk of losing control or drifting out of the lane. The steering wheel catches and requires excessive manual force to unstick, leading to unsafe over-correction and lane drifting. This is a severe, recurring safety hazard.

Driving down a road, power steering warning light came on, and the power steering went completely out. My wife was driving, and is not strong enough to steer manually. She was able to partially get off the road to stop. Needed other drivers to help get it off the road. We had it towed to a repair shop, and they said the electronic components replaced and only the dealerships do it. Made an appointment and will have to pay to have it towed to the dealership.

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The steering wheel gets stuck when doing gentle turns at moderate speeds (30-50mph). This is a safety issue because you have to fight hard to return the steering to neutral, leading to the possible to overcorrect. The problem seems to get worse when the vehicle is hotter, or after driving for several minutes. The problem has happened for several years and is getting worse and more frequent. Changing brakes and tires has not fixed it. The dealer has been unable to diagnose and fix it and I have paid for several diagnoses out of pocket now.

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My 2017 Chrysler Pacifica steering wheel started locking in place at approximately 10 a 2 o'clock the other day as we were on a couple hundred-mile trip over the memorial day weekend. We looked up the symptoms, it said there was a recall for the power steering assist v53/NHTSA 19v-348. I drove the car slowly the entire way home and set up an appointment at cdjr of morgantown for the next day may25th at 8am. After arriving at the dealership, I was informed that this particular recall was closed, although its description fit exactly what my car had been doing the previous day. I informed them that my main battery ibs had been broken for nearly a year and wondered if that could have been the problem also. They took the car at 8am and at 9 am the man at the desk that had been helping me came to the waiting room and informed me that urse Dodge (where I bought the vehicle in 2017) showed record of performing the recall check " that's a lie" I replied! none the less, at 10 am they reported to me that the auxiliary battery had 0 cca and needed replaced and that the ibs would also need replaced, all of which would run me nearly 1000 dollars. I asked when they could get the ibs and the parts department said 5 days, I asked the gentleman that had originally been helping me if they checked the ground wire from the original recall and he said yes, and it was fine. I changed the auxiliary battery and the ibs myself at advance auto yesterday and after I had the main battery hot lead off it also cleared all the codes that the dealership said was on the vehicle (electrical codes). I drove the vehicle yesterday and I can't say for sure that it did it, although I believe it stuck lightly a couple of times. The ibs and the auxiliary battery are my fault, I should have addressed them sooner. The bigger issue here is that urse Dodge in fairmont never called me, I never received a recall notice.

Sticking steering during gradual turning from 30-70mph.

While driving my 2017 Chrysler Pacifica, the vehicle experienced a sudden, severe malfunction of the electric power steering (eps) system. The dashboard illuminated a "service power steering" warning light, which was accompanied by an immediate, complete loss of power steering assist. The steering wheel became extremely stiff and heavy. It required immense physical force to steer. This failure occurred suddenly without warning, creating an immediate and severe crash hazard by making the vehicle uncontrollable. The vehicle also suddenly restored power assist while I was using the extra force which made driving very dangerous. I use my minivan to drive my kids to school every day and this hazard could have resulted in tragic loss of life especially with an infant and three toddlers in my car. I just noticed that the safety probe pe25009 has been opened last year with no recalls yet. Please help us resolve this ASAP as this is a critical, life-threatening, safety issue.

The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized with no warning. Warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for an unrelated failure, and during the inspection, the mechanic diagnosed the vehicle with a failed rack and pinion steering assembly that needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000. The VIN was not available.

The steering is tight/sticking when I back out of my driveway or drive slowly around turns. It does seem stiff on highway speeds as well. Also my auto stop start check light is on about 2 months after replacing both batteries and I did have the recall somewhat associated with this completed.

While driving at highway speeds, steering wheel sticks at 11 and 1 o'clock position requiring extra input from the driver to return to zero or 12 o'clock position. This causes a jerky motion when the wheel finally unsticks or an oversteer condition which is unsafe when driving in busy windy roads with opposing traffic.

Steering wheel binds up wile making right truns around the 1 o'clock position.

I was slowing down to turn left and felt a stutter, like when antilock brakes activate. Then a red triangle appeared on the display on the dash that said something like "pull over safely vehicle will turn off soon. " I came to a stop to wait for oncoming traffic. When I hit the gas again it had barely any power and the power steering had disengaged. I was able to get through the left turn at about 3-5 mph. Shortly after I was out of the intersection (maybe 100 feet) the accelerator stopped giving any power. The vehicle was still able to turn on and I could use things like power windows, radio, and gear shifter (to go into neutral to push it to a better place to wait for a tow) but no thrust since. The mechanic said it seemed to be a problem with the hybrid battery and we towed it to the dealership since that was still under warranty. The dealership says it's the transmission and is in the process of figuring out which version of repairing it works for the warranty coverage.

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Positions during small steering corrections, especially at highway speeds and during straight-line driving. Condition feels like temporary increased steering effort or intermittent reduction of electric power steering assist. Additional force is required to move the steering wheel past the sticking point 11 o'clock or 1 o'clock. Once resistance releases, steering may suddenly move farther than intended, causing brief overcorrection or oversteer. Issue occurs repeatedly during lane correction maneuvers and creates a safety concern because steering input is not smooth, consistent, or predictable. Problem appears to be worsening over time. No warning lights were present when symptom occurred. Vehicle mileage at onset: 80,000. Current mileage: 82,500. This complaint appears related to NHTSA investigation pe25009 involving sticky steering and increased steering effort in 2017–2018 Chrysler Pacifica vehicles.

I am experiencing the exact issues identified in nhts campaign number: pe25009. The steering system on my 2018 Chrysler Pacifica exhibits a sticking sensation during gradual turns, particularly when the steering wheel is positioned near the 11 o'clock or 1 o'clock position. It is most prevalent at speeds over 60mph. The safety of everyone in the van has been put at risk by requiring increased steering force in the opposite direction that could easily be overcompensated for by the driver. The first time it occurred, I overcompensated which easily could have caused a crash into a guardrail or vehicle. Fortunately, it did not and I was aware of the issue and how to react when it continued during the drive. There were no warning lamps, messages, or other indicators that there's a problem with the van. After parking the vehicle, I saw online that it could be possible to reset the steering sensors by turning the wheel all the way in each direction several times. Not sure if it was a coincidence, but I did not experience the same sticking for the remainder of the drive even with reaching the same speed and taking similar, gradual turns. A service center inspection will come next.

The power steering will intermittently go out when traveling down the roadway and when making right and left hand turns. Once the power steering goes out there is an alert triggered and the alerts the driver the power steering assist is malfunctioning and the steering wheel is very difficult to control or turn and jerks the steering wheel. Also, the power steering will re-engage and return to normal function without warning and then go back out again.

My 2018 Pacifica hybrid suffered a catastrophic suspension separation while driving—the exact failure described in safety recall v15. The driver fortunately arrived at home safely only seeing smoke coming out form the tire rubbing against the wheel hood. Although my VIN isn't showing as 'active,' this is clearly a safety defect. I would like to open a case for a goodwill repair or a 'special policy' adjustment because this is a known dangerous failure.

When turning slightly right or left, the lower steering column makes a clicking sound while staying stuck and you have to forcefully move the steering wheel in the opposite direction to get the steering unstuck. A safety hazard of possible over correction could send someone into oncoming traffic.

Vehicle steering locked up while driving causing driver to end up in oncoming traffic. Also, vehicles remote start turns on, but after a few seconds car shuts off.

We bought our van new in 2019. It has always made a grinding noise when making hard turns. The dealer said it was normal. Flash forward to a few weeks ago when we hit 105k miles. We started noticing more grinding noises and sensations when turning the wheel. Additionally, we noticed a tugging sensation on the wheel when going over 60 mph. It felt like the lane assist was turned on, but it wasn’t. We took our van to our trusted auto repair garage. They did a series of tests which included isolating the sound of clicking and grinding to the electronic steering gear. We were told that this part would cost $5400 to replace. We believe that this part is going bad too early in the life of our van and would like the NHTSA to investigate.

The vehicle has an unresolved electrical/propulsion failure involving sudden shutdowns while driving and can c bus/lost-communication faults. Since the high-voltage battery was replaced through a recall-related repair, the vehicle has had repeated shutdown/loss-of-communication events, occurring dozens of times. In the most serious incidents, while driving at speed, the dash flickered, windshield wipers activated unexpectedly, headlights turned off, turn signals would not work, and steering locked or became difficult to control. The vehicle then completely shut off while still moving. After shutdown, the hazard lights would not work. One documented incident occurred on the interstate at about 70 mph. This puts occupants and others at risk because the vehicle can suddenly lose motive power and critical electrical/control functions at the same time, including lighting, signals, hazards, instrument display, and steering/control assistance. The vehicle has been inspected multiple times by a Chrysler dealership. Dealer records documented multiple modules losing communication on the can c bus. The dealer replaced the shifter module as a possible contributor, but the problem continued. The dealer later corrected loose pin tension at a communication/star connector, but the vehicle continued to shut down and later scan reports still showed widespread active/stored can and lost-communication faults across powertrain, hybrid control, body control, braking/abs, steering, and shifter-related systems. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The problem has been confirmed by dealer scan reports and repair records, but the root cause remains unresolved. The manufacturer has been contacted through customer care and repair/scan documentation was submitted. The exact root cause is unknown, but dealer findings indicate an unresolved major electrical/can communication problem possibly involving the harness, connector network, or communication system.

As I am driving a warning pops up on the dash and says “ power steering unavailable service required “ while that shows up the steering wheel locks up. It goes away abruptly but it causes me to over turn.

The steering gets stuck trying to return wheel to center after going around a curve or slight turn. It usually happens at 10/11 and 1/2 o'clock positions. It gets stuck and then I have to either slow down and turn the wheel again a little farther, then try to turn it back to center to get it unstuck. This has been replicated by an independent service center. This has been going on for the past 6-7 months. Prior to this, the only thing that was noticed was when reversing and turning at the same time the wheel would shake like something was loose. If on a gravel road it can sometimes feel like the steering is shaky or loose and like there isn't full control. I took this to an independent service center for repair and they explained my whole power steering gear assembly would need to be replaced.

Vehicle experienced intermittent and sudden loss of power steering assist while driving. Steering becomes extremely heavy without warning, creating a risk of loss of control. This is the same symptom addressed by recall v53 (power steering assist loss). The recall was previously marked as completed, but the defect has returned, indicating an ineffective recall remedy. Issue occurs during normal driving and is reproducible. Chrysler claims safety recalls have a warranty and will not repair or reinspect it.

The steering wheel sticks in a slight right and left turns (from about the 11:00 or 1:00 position) when I straighten out the wheel. It does it on highway on and exit ramps, during passing maneuvers and any slight right or left bends in the road. There are no unusual noises associated with this. During these gradual curves the wheel will not self-center to return to straight ahead. Extra force is required to force the steering to respond resulting in the car jerking right or left. This is unexpected and very scary when it first happens because I feel I've temporarily lost control of the steering. My passengers are alarmed as the car is jerked to the side at highway speeds wondering why I'm jerking the car so violently while performing a gradual turn or passing another vehicle. It seems to happen more on long drives (2 to 3 hours) and not so much on short drives. It almost feels temperature related as I don't notice this behavior on short drives around town but mostly at higher speeds on expressways. This has been occurring over the last several years but only noticeable on long road trips.

When we are driving around small curves as well as straight, the steering locks up. I am reporting as I was told to because this happens in all of these vehicles. If I move the wheel a little bit it comes out of it. This is our main vehicle and it just did it on the interstate going 80. It is a complete safety concern and extremely dangerous to be dealing with it especially when you have your children with you. It has been doing it since I had gotten the car back in March and it is making me nervous.

The steering system is malfunctioning and doesn't return to center naturally while driving at certain speeds and degrees of turns. It can be available for inspection if someone wants to look at it. When operating the vehicle on average between 30-50 miles per hour and making a slight left or slight right turn, the steering wheel gets locked into the turn position and doesn't return to center. Force has to be applied in order to return the vehicle's steering wheel to center and continue driving. No accidents have happened, but I it puts our safety at risk in turning and overcorrecting into another vehicle. No steering components appeared to be damaged when inspected by firestone and pepboys. Tires were showing normal wear and within alignment that didn't indicate another issue ongoing. There are no warning lights, symptoms and shown problems indicating something electrical. This does happen often and it's one incident.

While driving the car is unable to switch gears from d to l gear and has no power to accerlerate up hill.

Have lost power steering intermittently while driving.

When driving steering at a slight angle to the right it feels like it sticks when corrected with a slight turn to the left.

When encountering a long gradual curve on the highway, the steering sticks and does not return to center unless a conscious effort is made to turn the steering wheel back. If this is not done the vehicle would continue into a state of over-steer. Although this typically happens at highway speeds (55-75 mph), it has occasionally occurred at slower speeds (35-45 mph). This has been reported to two different Chrysler dealers numerous times since I purchased it in February 2018 and neither acknowledged the condition. Each time both said that I am the only owner to report the incident. This has occurred in virtually every state along the i95 corridor from massachusetts to florida. The current odometer reading is 101,386.

Many times over the past 6 months the power steering assist goes away while driving at highway speeds. The steering wheel sort of locks up and it becomes difficult to turn. After much effort the wheel will turn and the steering returns to normal. It has happened at speeds as low as 40 mph and as high as 50 mph. This has occurred in heavy traffic situations. I have never had a dealer look at the problem. No warnings or messages from vehicle.

While driving the yellow eps (electrical power steering) light came on. Steering felt more stiff than usual. After parking the vehicle and turning the engine off to make a stop and coming back to turn it on (approx. 5 minutes later) the light was now red. Power steering had completely failed and would not work at all.

Vehicle lost power, steering, and breaks on the george washington bridge in nyc causing it to roll into the back of another vehicle.